Gas-producing apparatus.



PATENTBD JAN. 17, 1905.

B). S. CRAIG,

GAS PRODUCING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 19, 1902. RENEWED JULY 12. 1904.

[wrvwbr hwmil 0% J J'MA ROBERT STEELE CRAIG,

Patented January 1'7, 1905.

tries.

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAS-"PRODUCING APPMIWMTUS SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 780,026, dated. January 1'7, 1905.

Application filed June 18, 1902. Renewed July 12, 1904. Serial No. 216,232.

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Roeuu'r STEELE CRAIG, of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook, in the State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in (J HS'I I'OdUC" ing Apparatus, of which the following is the specification.

My invention relates to improvements in gas-producing apparatus; and the object of the invention is to devise a simple and cheap apparatus for producing gas of a superior quality for illuminating and fuel purposes in which air under forced draft will be used continuously and in which also the utilization of all electrolytic action will be avoided.

The present invention relates to an apparatus which 1 use in connection with my method which forms the subject-matter of a separate application, liled July 8, 1901, Serial No. 67,541.

The apparatus 1 shall now describe in detail.

Figure 1 is an elevation, mostly in section, showing the apparatus adapted to carry out my improved process. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan showing the form of the crucibles in the fixing-chamber. Fig. 8 is a sectional plan showing the form of arch in the fixing-chamher.

in the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

A is the feed-box for the coal or carbonaceous material. Soft or bituminous coal is the kind I prefer.

B is the screw-feed leading from the hopper to the combustion-ehamber C, which is provided with the grate-bars c and upon which the fuel is continuously fed, but in such a manner as not to prevent the state of incandesenee being preserved in the lire-bed.

D and E are the fixing -cha1nbers. The combustion-chamber C is connected at the top by the fine (JZ with the iiXing-chamber D and the fixing-chamber D is connected at the bottom by the flue with a fixing-chamber E. The fixing-chambers D and E are provided with arches 2 in a spider-like form, as shown in Fig. 3, upon which is supported the silica crucibles 3, filled, preferably, with a material of a great heat absorbing, retaining, and radiating quality, preferably copper. I preferably fill the silica crucibles 3 with copper alone, as 1 do not wish to prod uceany electrolytic action, but merely to cook or fix the gas.

I employ silica crucibles to contain the heat absorbing, retaining, and radiating material in order to enable me to use slack-coal in the combusti(in-chamber. This slaclocoal gives oil a great amount of lann'iijilack, which readily adheres to lire-brick and retards the lixing operation; but .i find that this is not the ease with silica. crucibles, to which the lampblack will not adhere to any appreciable degree.

At the top of the fixing-chamber E, I provide a line F, which when the process is in operation is closed by a cap f, as indicated by dotted lines, such cap being pivoted atf" on the top of a suitable standard f and operated through an arm f and connecting-rod. f by a lever/" F is a continuation of the line 1:, each line extending to a line G- at the top of a receptacle provided with a vaporizing-chamber H, communicating with the flue Or, a condensing-chamber ll below said vaporiZing-chamber, and a collecting-chamber arranged below said condensingchamber. The condensing-chamber H contains a plurality of tubes 72,, such tubes being supported on (:liaphragn'1s it and it, which form the up per and lower walls of the chamber H. The tops of the tubes it extend above the diaphragms it, and a water-supply It" enters the condensing-chamber below the level of the top of the tubes. A water-drain pipe lb is provided at the bottom of the collectingcharnber, as indicated. The collecting-chamber is connected by the pipe *1: to the washbox J.

K is the pipe leading into the condensing chamber H and provided. at the end thereof with any suitablefan or other device for producing a forced draft of air, such forced draft passing through the chamber H into the pipe i at the upper end of the chamber, thence to the combnstion-chamber, which it enters underneath the grate-bar o. By this arrangement it will be seen that the air entering the condenser through pipe K is first employed to cool the condenser; but in its passage therethrough and before leaving the same it Hence I place the copper in silica becomes heated to a degree and in this heated condition it is delivered to the combustionchamber beneath the grate-bar, and thus aids the primary combustion. This utilization of the air to first cool the condenser and then aid primary combustion is important and greatly improves and simplifies the apparatus, as will be obvious.

lt is the drain-pipe for the water.

I preferably use crude petroleum.

The pipe L extends downward into the condenser H in the form of a coil 1 and passes outwardly again through the flue G to a point at the top of the combustion-chamber G.

In starting my apparatus the cap f is removed from the flue F and the soft coal or other carbonaceous material is placed upon the grate-bar 0 and a fire made, the draft being directly through the combustion-chamber C, flue (Z and fixing-chamber D, flue c, fixingchamber E, and out through the flue F. As soon as the bed of carbonaceous material is brought to a point of incandescence and the copper in the silica crucibles 3 has been brought up to the desired heat I close the cap f, so that the gas now produced in the combustion-chamber will pass through the flue F down through a flue G into the vaporizing-chamber H, whence it passes out through the fines lb of the condensing-chamber H, into the collecting-chamber, thence to the wash-box. The water-pipe 703 serves to keep the water to about a level with top of the tubes ii, and any overflow will pass down such tubes. As the gas is at a great heat when it strikes the top of the JlbQS, it will be seen that the water surrounding the same will protect the tubes. There is a constant supply of the water, so as to keep the water up to the top of the level of the tubes, as it is of course constantly evaporating. The overflow passes out through the pipe 71* after having passed down the sides of the tubes, which I find in practice keeps them clean.

By employing a condenser intermediate the fixingchambers and the wash-box it is found that the resultant gas is considerably improved in quality, for the reason that the condenser acts to gradually cool the gas after leaving the fixingchambers and before reaching the wash-box. In fact, by the ar rangement herein shown and described the gas enters the wash-box at about the same temperature as the water therein, and hence a great percentage of the marsh-gas series is preserved, which would not be the case if the gas entered the wash-box directly from the fixing-chambers and when it is in a highly heated state. I consider the particular arrangement of condenser as being a most valuable improvement in the apparatus.

It will consequently be seen that as the pipe L passes into the flue G and vaporizing-chamber H such pipe is kept at a high temperature,

and consequently the crude petroleum that passes therethrough will be vaporized before it reaches the top of the combustion-chamber. Immediately the cap f has been placed in position so as to cause the passing of the gas through the whole apparatus a suitable cock is turned on in the pipe L and hydrocarbon vapor passes into the top of the combustion-chamber, the forced draft of air forcing the gas through the flue cl and thence through the apparatus.

YVhat I claim as my invention is 1. Ina gas-producing apparatus, a combustion-chamber, a carbonaceous-material supply communicating therewith, a fixing-chamber communicating at its top with said combustion-chamber, a second fixing-chamber communicating at its bottom with the bottom of the first-mentioned fixing-chamber, a receptacle having a pair of compartments, one of which forms a vaporizing-chamber and the orizing-chamber provided witha water-inlet and said condensing-chamber with an air inlet and outlet, said receptacle further provided with a water-outlet, means for establishing communication between the top of said secondmentioned fixing-chamber and top of said receptacle, a vaporizing-coil extending in said vaporizing-chamber and communicating with a hydrocarbon-supply, said coil further communicating with the top of said combustionchamber, a wash-box communicating with said receptacle, and an air-pipe communicating at one end with the air-outlet of said condensingchamber and at its other end with the combustion-chamber below the fuel therein.

2. In a gas-producing apparatus, a combustion-chamber, a fixing-chamber communicating therewith, a receptacle provided with a vaporizing and acondensing chamber, said receptacle having air and water inlets and outlets, and having its vaporizing-chamber communicating with said fixing-chamber, ahydrocarbon-supply pipe extending in said vaporizing-chamber and opening into the top of said combustion-chamber for supplying vapor thereto, and an air-conducting pipe communicating at one end with the air-outlet of said receptacle and opening at its other end into the bottom of said combustion-chamber below the grate-bars thereof.

3. In combination, a receptacle provided with a vaporizing, a condensing and a collecting chamber, said condensing-chamber having air and waterinlets and an air-outlet, said collecting-chamber having water and gas outlets, and said vaporizing-chamber having a gas-inlet, a fixing-chamber communicating with said gas-inlet, a combustion-chamber communicating with said fixing-chamber, an air-pipe communicating with said air-outlet and with said combustionchamber below the grate bars thereof, and means for supplying vapor from said vaporizing-chamber to said combustionchamber.

other of which a condensing-chamber,said vap 4;. In combination, a receptacle provided with a vaporizing, a condensing and a collecting chamber, said vaporizing-chamber having a gas-inlet, said condensing-chamber having an air and water inlet and said collecting-chamher having water and gas outlets, a fixingchamber communicating with said gas-inlet, a combustion-chamber communicating with said fixing-chamber, a hydrocarbon-supply pipe extending in said vaporizing -chamber and opening into the top of said combustion-chamher for supplying vapor thereto, and an airpipe communicating with said air-inlet and opening into the bottom of said combustionchamber below the grate-bars thereof.

5. In a gas-producing apparatus, a collecting chamber, a wash box communicating therewith, a condensing-chamber arranged thereof.

ROBERT STEELE CRAIG. Witnesses:

B. Born, M. McLARuN. 

